True Inner Fire
by rebmonk
Summary: CHAPTER 3 IS UP! After the warcraft three frozen throne campaigns, who can combat arthas and what happens? find out about an Elf that will tip the balance.
1. The Awaking of the Fire

True Inner Fire: Part I, the Awakening of the Flame.  
  
By: Jay Steinberger  
  
[A/N] I only own the characters I create, the creatures I inspire, and the new towns. The rest belong to the creators of Warcraft, Blizzard. Oh, and I might use a couple of creatures or towns from Diablo. Anything else that is blindingly obvious I will try to give credit but know I did not use it. I would like to thank Valken and TheRebelQueen for ideas, inspiration, and proof reading.  
  
Anyways, after the frozen throne expansion, I decided to change the story around. This story is going to continue the frozen throne, with Arthas and the lich king becoming one and slowly taking over the world. Who will be able to stop him? We shall find out.  
  
Sorry for the insane amount of time, I had to wait for all of the campaigns to come out so I could redo this and actually think of ideas to continue the story, so without further to do, the story.  
  
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Chapter I: The Beginning  
  
The archers huddled up in their towers around the warm fire in the stone pits they had made, melting the icy hand of death from their fingertips. The orcs, breaking their treaty, had not retaliated against the expansion in a few weeks due to the fall of an unexpected winter in Theramore, and so the three soldiers could enjoy their dinners in peace. Their crossbows leaned upon the wooden walls below their arrow slits, and they used their shields as stools.  
  
"So what do you think caused this storm ta come in so quickly?" one of the guards said, hoping to strike up a conversation.  
  
"Beats the 'ell outta me, boy, rumors go from witches to the Water Magus going crazy. Some even say the Orcs traitors," he spat after saying the word, "have unlocked something terrible from the earth below. Whatever the reason is, I sure hope we find out soon, cuz none of us brought our winter coats and the only one here that's gonna survive is me!" He put both hands on his large gut as the other two guards gave a nervous laugh.  
  
As they were talking none of them noticed three distinct objects coming over the distant hill to the wooden doors of New Covell. The snow was almost blinding as three shadows trudged their way towards the door in the merciless wind. All three men jumped as a harsh *THUD* shook the entire palisade and sent splinters into their chicken, potatoes, and wine. The one who had just spoken, a tall, plump veteran who had fought in the great battle of Mount Hyjal, looked down to see one of the foot soldiers running to the gates. The second loud *THUD* nearly threw the man off his feet as he ran for the handle. A signal was given from the towers, and five arrows guarded the foot soldier as he opened the great wooden doors. The hinges creaked for they had not moved since the start of the snow storm, and the scream of a banshee howled through the air as the monstrous door let open his arms.  
  
As the footman stared into the path and forest, all he could see were shadows camouflaged upon heavens ice. Then three pairs of glowing eyes lit up the scene staring up at the soldier.  
  
"Who's there?" screamed the soldier, the armor clanking away as his legs shivered not only from the cold. A new recruit, tall with blonde hair, stared into the dark abyss with fear in his soul. Still, all that he could see were those four red eyes, two blue eyes, and hear nothing but the silence of the cold. Suddenly the black demon formed into a column, leaving two small distinct shadows with red eyes, and a larger object in- between. As the three came forward, fighting the snow, the light from the flames revealed all, splitting the monstrous demon into two.  
  
Standing in front of the soldier were two dragons. They were the size of dogs, each red with fiery eyes. The front one had flashes of gold spread throughout his scales, and resembled more of the high dragons that once roamed the land. The other one in the rear was crimson red and took its heritage from the Lordareon clan of dragons. Between the creatures glowed the most beautiful horse any of them had seen. It was clothed in red scales that fit the horse perfectly, and blue eyes, mane, and tail any animal would wish to own. In between the armor they could see the beautiful white coloring of the horse. Lying upon the horse was a bundle of goods. The column stopped, looked the town over, and continued on their path. All the guards could do was stare in awe. However, considering the animals weren't causing any trouble, yet, the soldiers did not plan on probing the three any further.  
  
The trio had no chosen path. They only saw one light on in the whole town, and so, the dragons drawn by the golden brilliance, headed towards it. As they approached the shop of "De Lacy Blacksmith and Stables" the first dragon sprinted out across the plains of snow, ruining the snowmen several children had been working on earlier, and again threw its tail upon the door. The door was thrown open just as the horse and smaller dragon approached the door.  
  
"What the devil was." The blacksmith was soon cut off by a softer thud. The bundle of cloth fell off the horse and a boy had rolled out upon the snow. He looked around 17, with long flowing dark brown hair, brown eyes, a small nose and mouth, and long, narrow ears. He was shadowed inside a blood red cloak with golden lining and symbols engraved along the edges. He wore mainly wool and studded leather from head to toe. The blacksmith looked at the two sacks upon the horse that were undoubtedly the boys' weapons and supplies.  
  
"What the devil is an elf doing so south of Ashenvale Forrest?!?" said the man as he noticed the red paint covering the boys face. "And one of the high elves no doubt, all the way from Quel Tha'las?!" exclaimed the man in a deep Scottish tone as he saw the tan flesh of the boy, unlike the purple skin which the night elves bear. He spat upon the snow outside. He remembered how after the battle of Mount Hyjal the elves had retreated to their lands and the high elves were a mere myth, slaughtered by the Scourge. Now the humans were looking for another land to take, and the orcs had settled here first! The humans and orcs had decided to keep their treaty but recently the orcs had decided to attack the new expansions and things had gotten ugly. The blacksmith spat again. He was a tall man, slowly going bald but his deep, black beard more then made up for it. His muscles pierced his wool clothing, and weight had started to form around his mid-section from age and nights at the nearby pub. He wore a brown tunic, black belt, brown pants, and brown leather boots. In his right arm was a large hammer and on both wrists were black leather thongs that saved his wrists from breaking as he forged all day. He glanced at the elf again, spat one last time, and called inside.  
  
"Jessica!! Madeline!!! Come quick!!!" screamed Mortimor as he began to pick up the young boy. Two figures came out from the small house. The first was the mother, Madeline. She was in her mid 40's, around the same as Mortimor. However, not one wrinkle had planted itself upon her skin, and she still looked as radiant as on their wedding day. Madeline was the average height for a women of that day as well as in "size", however her little nose, long, flowing blonde hair, green eyes, and somewhat Elvish ears made her more extraordinary closer up. She wore the common clothes of the people: A brown dress and pale shirt. Currently she was wearing a giant blue cloak she had just finished sewing to keep out the cold. The second one to follow her was their daughter, Jessica. She was the most beautiful girl in the town of New Covell. Many Lords as well as adventurers had fallen for her, but none had succeeded in courting. She was taller then her mother, and her elegant beauty almost floated to the horse. Her long brown hair and blue eyes went perfectly with her oval face, slim nose, and luscious lips. She also wore the same clothing of her mother, aside from the yellow lining and colors she had added in a vain attempt to add flair to the cloth. Both the mother and child stared in awe at the elf in the man's arms.  
  
"Well don't just stand there, help me! Jessica, take the horse around back, take care of it, and then come in for the night, it's getting late and who knows what comes out at this time!" Jessica nodded and took the horse around back to the wooden stables. Madeline quickly ran through the kitchen/living room to get to the back bedroom. She slid away the sheets off of the bed and ran to fetch some warm water, cloth, and salts. As Mortimor carried the boy to the bed he could feel the warm, red liquid covering his hands and the color fading in the elf's skin.  
  
"Oh bloody hell! Quickly my love!" Mortimor screamed. He laid the boy upon the bed, and removed his cloak and shirt. What they saw next appalled them. Slashes and wounds covered the elf's chest. Puss was everywhere. Many of the wounds had healed, but blood was still pouring out of the deeper wounds and gashes. Madeline silently went to work. She grabbed the bottles of salts and poured them over the wounds. Many of her patients before would scream in pain from the sting of the salts, but the elf took no notice. She thanked God for this, and continued in the cleaning of the body. After she had stopped the bleeding, washed him down with water, and wrapped his wounds up, she pulled up the covers and went over to her husband.  
  
"Don't worry," exclaimed Madeline as she put a hand on Mortimor's shoulder. "He'll live. The weird thing is.. he shouldn't be. Those wounds were too deep, no one should have survived that many, much alone a journey on horseback in that condition."  
  
"Orcs.. may they all get sent back to hell. Oh well, at least this one will be able to claim vengeance." And with that the two lovers headed up to bed wrapped in each other's arms.  
  
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Jessica had just finished setting up the horse in one of the many stalls with feed when she noticed the many packs on its back. 'Poor boy' she thought. She lifted up the sacks, brushed over the horse one last time, said her good byes, and dragged the bags into the back door of the house. As she threw them on the table, she looked at the house and smiled. It was a two-story house, made out of wood and stone like all the others. Downstairs was the kitchen and a table with chairs, and a door for her dads' blacksmith shop next door. In the back was the guest room, where the elf was sleeping, and upstairs were her parent's room and her room. Closets and cupboards scattered the house. Being somewhat of a cleaning freak Jessica decided to unpack the sacks of their new company. When she opened the first bag her face lit up golden as the sun. The entire sac was filled with gold! Jessica quickly closed the bag and took it into the back bedroom where the elf was. As she entered the room she could barely see for all the candles had already been extinguished in the room. It looked as though things had already been put under the bed, so Jessica decided to put the sack of gold at the foot of the elf's bed. When she looked up she suddenly realized how handsome the elf was. His cloak and shirt were hanging on hooks next to the bed. White bandages, now soaked red with blood, covered the elf's chest, and he was breathing heavily. Jessica smiled, and went back into the other room to open the other sack. Inside were the elf's weapons, a belt with several daggers sheathed in it, some food, and a large, crimson book, lined with the same gold symbols as on the boys cloak. She ran her finger down the golden spine. Although made of metal, it felt incredibly smooth.  
  
After finally organizing everything neatly Jessica quietly blew out the rest of the candles, and headed up to her room. In the darkness she threw off all her clothes and got into bed. It felt so good to her to wrap up in the warm sheets caressing her skin and keeping her snug. She leaned over and pulled out a golden medallion from underneath her bed. She was given it as a child, before her father, Mortimor, sailed off to do battle, and she had kept it ever since he came home for good luck. She cherished it, for it always reminded her that he loved her dearly. She clutched it in both hands and settled in.  
  
Yet as soon as she had pulled out the memento sounds filled the house. She heard rummaging of cloth as well as the tearing of it, and then eight feet pattering around the house. Four of them had stayed in the back bedroom and she could hear the chinking of gold coins hitting the floor, but four were running up the steps! She looked at the doorway to see two red eyes peering in. Before she could do anything the "pat pat pat pat pat" had reached her bed and she moaned with an "umph" as a small creature jumped onto her stomach and created a ball wrapped around the golden medallion.  
  
"AWW! Aren't you just the cutest little thing" Jessica exclaimed as she caressed the back of the dragon now the size of a small cat. She noticed the small scratches it had left on her hands while going for the medallion. It hissed slightly as it clutched the gold and nestled itself into the warmth of her mid-section. She just smiled at it, stroked its back, and soon was overcome with dreams.  
  
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[A/N]: Well there you have it: the first chapter. Please R & R. I would also like to exclaim that I am indeed a guy, and I apologize for having my female characters react in future parts of the story in ways girls wouldn't really react. If some female wrote a book on how the female mind works, it would sell millions. Anyway, more action in later chapters I promise! I just had to get the description down in this one. If you have ideas, send them to me on AIM for raptor386. More to come later! 


	2. Challenging the Awaking Fire

True Inner Fire: Part I, the Awakening of the Flame.  
  
By: Jay Steinberger  
  
[A/N] Thanks for the couple of people that reviewed. I have taken into consideration what you all have said to explain some of the things in this chapter, so here it goes.  
  
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Chapter 2: War Dances Amongst the Flames  
  
Mortimor had just woken up to the sounds of music outside their house. Several days had passed but the winter had only grown worse in New Covell. The elf had not returned to consciousness, but he had recovered remarkably well. The family had become accustomed to the dragons that constantly guarded his body, or so they thought. It seemed to them as though the two scaly lizards hoarded the family's jewelry and other family keepsakes in a nice pile all day long, yet slowly they were hearing about friends and neighbors quite upset about losing some valuable chickens, goats, hogs, and even horses. And Mortimor thought he HAD seen different shades of red on the dragon's bodies.  
  
Mortimor shook his head and looked out the window. As he opened the blue curtains Madeline had just finished sewing, each with silver Elvish- styled embroidery mimicking the markings on the boy's robe, a world of color conquered his eyes. Out in the streets a festival had begun. Banners covered the houses. Shops had begun to be set up lining the streets. Ladies of the night, shopkeepers, fire eaters, magicians, elves, dwarves, hobbits, thieves, land salesmen, foot soldiers, knights, and even some royalty could be see mingling in the streets. Then Mortimor remembered! "Ahhh . it appears the Fair of Fire Tournament is about to begin!"  
  
In the days of past the Kirin Tor had passed a law stating that every 10 years a tournament is held in the name of one of the five elements: earth, fire, water, air, and spirit. Everyone who represents the particular element of the tournament in some form or another takes place in the tournament. However, with the almost utter destruction of the Kirin Tor, the leaders of the Humans had decided to hold the tournament every 6 months until the Leaders of the Kirin Tor had been established. The Leaders had decided that since New Covell had become the newest expansion of Theramore, the tournament would bring extra income, troops, and supplies to the town. And so it was decided that New Covell would host the Fair of Fire Tournament. The Fair of Water Tournament had already been decided 6 months ago, immediately after the battle of Mount Hyjal, and the Fire Order was the next rank needed to be filled.  
  
The tournament consists of a series of duels between two of the competitors. The objective of the duel is to strike a critical blow on the other opponent. These duels can range from just the use of weapons, to spells, to magical weapons, to auras, to creatures. The Spirit Magi, having studied the arts of the Trolls and Voodoo, are able to place several charms on the battlefield so that no one dies, but when a "kill" has been made that person or creature will be stunned until the battle is over. Since the Spirit Magi had not perfected the Voodoo, however, deaths were not uncommon during these duels. The greatest duel takes place in the final round in which the two remaining competitors are allowed to use any weapon or creature they want. Usually each competitor will call on fellow friends, towns, other competitors that they have made bonds with, or creatures of the wild that they have loyalties with. In many of these final rounds hundreds, or even thousands, of soldiers have clashed on the battlefield. The winner shall become the new Kirin Tor leader of that element. Once the Five High Kirin Tor Mages are reestablished, the council shall resume its reign. The council deals with the magical affairs in the human world, and are often able to consult with the Dragons of the world to determine what course of action to take. However, if the winner seeks the path of might rather then magic, he can also become a Lieutenant to one of the Generals of Theramore, since these leaders too are in short supply.  
  
Mortimor got dressed and headed downstairs. As he looked into the back room he stared at the boy. His robes were hanging up next to his bed, and the color had not faded at all. He and Madeline had also noticed that about the boys paint on his face. Madeline had tried to scrub it off, but the paint looked as new as the day Mortimor had pulled the body in. The dragons looked up from their ever accumulating piles of gold (where were these devils getting all that money from?), and when they realized whom it was they just snuggled back in to their metal beds. Mortimor walked into the room, checked the boys pulse, and looked to the area behind the dragons. Organized out on a table next to the bed were two short swords, one long sword, a bow, a quiver with arrows, a belt of small daggers, gauntlets, letters, two large sacs of gold (that was where the beds were coming from), several crystals and other bottles with colorful liquids in them, and a large book. Mortimor looked over the book. It was wrapped in a dark crimson cover with golden lining. Several different tabs were slithering out of the book. Each had its own color and symbol. Mortimor, seeing everyone, including the dragons, was asleep, decided to take a look at it. He had been trying ever since but Madeline had insisted that it was the boy's property and you should never meddle in the affairs of an elf. Mortimor shook his head and went to open the book, when he heard growling behind him. He turned around to find the two dragons staring straight at him ready to pounce.  
  
"Easy boys, I'm not trying to hurt ya, or ya master, I just want to take a gander at this book. I promise I wont mess with it nor break it. I just want to see if it can help us with yer master at all." Mortimor explained. The dragons seemed satisfied, looked at each other as if communicating, and returned to their respective beds. Mortimor sighed a breath of relief and opened the book. Inside were strange archaic symbols, and many pictures of creatures, weapons, and other magical phenomenon. Mortimor realized he couldn't understand a word of it, and so decided to close the book quietly.  
  
"I see you didn't take my advice after all did you." Madeline whispered out as Mortimor jumped and slammed the book shut. Madeline chuckled.  
  
"So what did it say? You can tell me about it as I fix you some breakfast." Mortimor just looked at her and then looked at the two dragons resting cozily on their beds of gold.  
  
"Now how come you two didn't make any noise when she entered the room?" Mortimor asked the dragons. The two pretended not to hear him.  
  
"And as for you two little angels," Madeline spoke, "Ill get you some breakfast as well." The two dragons immediately perked up and followed Madeline out of the room. Mortimor just stared in blind disbelief, which only caused Madeline to laugh harder, peck a kiss on his cheek, and run out of the room. The elf made a low moan.  
  
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Not much later Jessica came running down the stairs in her usual dress.  
  
"Good morning mother, good morning to you two (as Jessica patted the two dragons on the head while they feasted), and good morning daddy!" Jessica said as she threw her arms around Mortimor and put a kiss on his cheek. Mortimor blushed slightly and put his daughter down. Seeing Jessica smiling after a long time made both of her parents happy. It appeared these dragons had a good effect on the family after all.  
  
"Were doing fine this morning, and where are you off to young lady?" questioned Mortimor as he realized how much effort his daughter had put into her appearance that day. She had finished the golden embroidery along her dress, and had completed the crimson coloring of the dress to add to her radiance.  
  
"Oh, well considering the tournament is about to begin in two weeks, and even now some of the mages and shopkeepers are arriving, I thought I would take a look around to see all the merchandise before the good items are sold. Can I go daddy?" Jessica said as she smiled innocently and battered her eyes. The dragons looked up from their scraps, looked at each other, shook their heads, and went back to feasting.  
  
Mortimor looked over at his wife, who nodded assuringly. "Very well, you may go Jessica. Just don't stay out too long and don't mingle too often with strangers, and wrap yourself up in a coat, its still chilly outside." Jessica lit up, and with a 'thanks dad, bye mom!' she was off. Mortimor chuckled and went off to set up his blacksmith booth out front. Madeline began to clean up breakfast, when she noticed that there was not one crumb left on the floor or table, and that the dragons were looking very smug relaxing on their beds of gold. She let out a soft chuckle and went to cleaning the bedrooms and looking after the elf.  
  
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The foot soldier sat atop of the wooden wall keeping his eyes peeled for movement. He was one of the few men on guard duty, and his shield and sword were lying against the top of the wooden palisade. The soldier leaned over onto the top of the wall in order to relax his joints as well as giving his legs a rest from the armor. Suddenly, a row of wolves with orcs mounted upon them could be seen ascending out of the wood line surrounding that wall of the town. The foot soldier stared in disbelief before running to his weapons. "ORRRRRRCCCC." the soldier's yell was cut off as two well placed arrows sliced through his throat and stopped his yelling. Luckily a nearby guard saw what had happened, and, dodging arrows and blocking them with his shield, was able to ring the bells to warn the town of an attack.  
  
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Mortimor almost dropped the last helmet he was setting up as he heard the bells ring. It had been almost two months now since those bells had rung. Now Mortimor looked completely horrified, as he knew of the situation. The king's army, which currently lead Jaina Proudmoore to watch the tournament as well as make the tournament a safe haven, was nearly a days ride away. However, the garrison, not expecting an attack, had moved most of its troops to a different outpost. New Covell had almost no defense whatsoever! Mortimor looked to his right to see Jessica sprinting as fast as she could to the house carrying some blue fabric, yarn for crocheting, and little golden trinkets she had seen at the shops. "Get in dear, quickly." Mortimor said as he closed the door behind her. Madeline came running into the room.  
  
Mortimor began giving orders. "Jessica, go downstairs into the cellar and stay there until you hear the bells ring the ok. Madeline, help me put on my armor, take a sword, shield, and our valuables, and hide in the basement." Jessica immediately went down stairs.  
  
"There's only one problem dear." Madeline said.  
  
"And what is that?" Mortimor asked.  
  
"The boys gone, and so are the dragons."  
  
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"WWAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!!!!! Come on warriors, the door has almost been breached, the town is ours for the taking!" A young orc swordsman screamed out. The orc archers had eliminated the few guards on the palisade wall and in the two towers, and they were taking almost no casualties. Soon the main gate would be broken by their makeshift battering ram, and the town would be theirs. After one last stroke the wooden gate had collided into itself and shattered onto the rocky road. The veteran human soldiers stood on the palisade in horror at the new hole in their wall. The orc laughed and rallied his men on. "COME TROOPS!!! THE TOWN IS OURS!! SOUND THE BATTLECRY.WAAA." the swordsmen had turned to see his troops looking just as horrified as the humans upon the wall. There, standing where the door had been, were two creatures standing as high as the walls themselves. The eyes of the orcs grew bigger as the two, colossal red heads of the dragons lowered to the grounds and opened their mouths. In mere seconds glands within the dragons mouth were let loose and two streams of fire ripped through the orcish wave, decimating the entire regiment. Squads of orc swordsmen and their leaders melted under the heat of the waves. Spears, demolishers, and the battering ram were turned into cinders from the intensity of the heat. Orc sappers were screaming as the explosive powder caught fire and exploded on their bodies or in the barrels, annihilating the siege ranks. The only few to survive were the orcish leaders that were riding the now boiling carcasses of wolves, and they quickly formed together in a small circle around their general who was screaming as the liquefied metal began to weld to his body. All ten of the orcs looked at the entranceway as a cloaked person came out upon the road. All they saw were the smoldering dead bodies, everything made of wood set afire, and the stone road shined black. The person removed the hood to show the boy that not long ago was resting on a bed wounded.  
  
'Good' thought Garin, 'my dragons are improving'. With that Garin smirked, stopped the squad of veterans whom were running to seal the entrance, and drew both short swords. The ten orcs, in a blood lust rage, charged him. Garin, in one swift motion, threw both swords forward and drew his long sword. The first two orcs were cut down as the swords cut through their throats, and the other eight stopped as they noticed Garin's eyes had turned red, and flames began to emit from the armor underneath his cloak as well as his sword. Garin charged forward, ready to annihilate the remaining raiders. He gut the first orc with his sword before pulling it out and blocking a blow to his head from another raider. Blood and intestines withdrew with the sword as the first orc went down in a scream. Garin quickly disengaged from the clash and waved his sword through the orc, taking a cut to his right shoulder, but cutting the orc in two. He continued the twirling motion to behead another orc charging him, and pulled into a roll motion to dodge one of the raiders that dove at him. As he threw his sword over his shoulder to gut another orc that had snuck around to attack from behind, he reached forward and grabbed the chest of the other raider, bursting him into flames. The final three charged in a row as Garin jumped into the air, dodging all three. As he landed on his knees, sword lying forward, he looked at the leader and smirked. As the remaining three Raiders turned and charged again, Garin leapt around, drew both knives, and charged into the melee. As Garin was about to knife the front Raider another orc had flanked Garin's left and sunk his axe into Garin's leg. Garin howled with pain as he sunk one knife into the orc's throat, pushed the orc backwards, removing the axe from his leg and sending a fountain of blood into the air from the raider's throat, ducked to avoid a blow aimed at his neck. With his good leg Garin immediately jumped onto the back of the orc that had attacked him, spun off the orc to land a foot into the other raider's face, crushing the orc's jaw and snapping its neck. As Garin landed he collapsed on his left leg and was trying to get up from his kneeled position. The remaining Raider walked forward.  
  
"Time to die..boy" chuckled the orc.  
  
"I think not" replied Garin as he leaned to the right, causing the raiders' axe to dig into the ground. Garin rolled over onto his back.  
  
"The cold sometimes causes the axe to stick" and with that Garin slit the throat of the orc, showering the human veterans with a pool of blood. Garin then leaned over and welded his wound shut with fire, causing tears to stream down his face from the pain. After breathing in for a second Garin stumbled up and was able to walk.  
  
Quietly he stepped forward, sheathed his long sword, stopped the fire spell from shielding himself, and drew his two smaller swords from the throats of the orcs. As the elf returned to the soldiers to order them to the other wall, Garin heard a scream behind him. The General Blade Master, seeing his troops mowed down, charged Garin in a fit of rage. As the Blade Master lunged forward, ready to deal the final blow to Garin, Garin spun around and quickly drew his long sword. The two were pitched in a skill of might, as Garin pulled away and arced his sword downward to block a blow to his healing leg. The blade master threw the sword into his other hand and aimed for the ribcage of Garin, sending pieces from the armor flying to the right. Garin replied by sliding to the left and hacked off the blade masters hand, causing him to drop the sword. The blade master screamed as Garin spun around and sent two blades into the chest of the Blade Master. The General just stood there in shock as Garin stared at him. Suddenly, Garin pulled out the swords, causing pieces of the lungs and bones to fall from the orcs' chest, and severed the head of his opponent, which rolled into the smoldering pile of the battering ram.  
  
"Now that that's done with, get to the eastern wall, this battle isn't over yet." Garin said as he sheathed his swords and kneeled down to catch his breathing. The footmen just stared in amazement. To them all they had seen was a red blur and the orc raiders cut down one by one. They snapped back into reality and ran off to defend the wall. As the two red dragons came forward out of the archway Garin patted both of their noses. "You two did such a good job, now you can sit here and pick on the orc bodies, but on my command, unleash hell. Ok Shadow? Starfall?" The two dragons nodded and began their feast, while Garin followed the sounds of battle being waged on the eastern wall.  
  
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*Thump thump thump thump thump* The Captain could feel the stream of arrows hitting his shield as well as looking at the shields of his comrades covered in arrows and poison. "Sir we cant take much more of." A foot soldier was cut off as a row of arrows turned his face into a pool of red as he was thrown from the wall. The barrage of arrows had stopped from the trolls in the woods and now orcs with ladders and on wolves ran forward to breach the wall.  
  
"ARCHERS!!!" The captain screamed out as the men picked up their bows and their targets.  
  
"MAKE READY!!!!"  
  
(Similar calls could be heard down the line from lower ranking officers.)  
  
"TAKE AIM!!!"  
  
The wave of orcs was not 100 yards from the wall now.  
  
"FIRE!!!!!!!" With that call a rainstorm of arrows fell upon the orcish horde and cut the first line to pieces. Wolves fell over, causing their riders to fall on their own swords. Grunts were cut to pieces and ladders and wooden tree trunks were destroyed. Yet still they came, and the volley had only made the orcs fill with more hatred and charge faster towards the wall.  
  
"ARCHERS RELOAD AND FIRE AT WILL!" Soon a constant stream of death was capturing the orcish horde and their pace towards the wall was slowing. Still, their numbers seemed endless. 'So this is what the orcs have been up to all this time' Captain Mordred thought as he continued to pour arrows into one grunt after another. Soon the endless wave stopped, and the remaining orcs retreated back into the forest. Most of the new soldiers stood and cheered, but the veterans called for their servants and apprentices to fetch more arrows and new shields from the armory. Mordred looked at the tree line as a fresh wave of orcs and grunts came at the wall. "THEYRE COMING AGAIN BOYS!!! THEYRE COMING AGAIN!!!" Mordred screamed as he drew a fresh arrow, lined up his target, and fired..  
  
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Garin had just climbed up the stairs to the eastern wall when he saw ladders and orcs there to meet him. Many of the soldiers had dropped their bows in favor of their swords and shields, not only to defeat the orcs but also to save themselves from the arrows flying in from the tree line. He drew his swords and decapitated the head of a grunt that had just gotten onto the wall. Quickly he followed through with a spin that sent one of his blades into the stomach of another grunt behind him, and another into the chest to finish the orc off. He pulled a red crystal out of his pouch, stuffed it into the chest of the grunt, and threw the body off the wall. As it hit the ground the crystal took effect and a giant explosion took place in front of the palisade. Many orcs were thrown off course if not destroyed completely, and a wall of fire hovered several meters in front of the wall. Many orcs burned attempting to pass through the wall. However, the trolls were more durable, and ran through the wall with little pain. Many orc raiders were also able to jump the fire with their wolves, and so proceeded to do their piece of damage onto the wall before being cut down by arrows. The trolls began to climb the ladders and were much tougher then the orcs lying around them. Garin hacked at the first troll but was blocked by the troll's pike before being jumped on by the troll. The troll raised his spear and continued to stab at Garin's head as Garin rolled to and fro. As the troll picked up a nearby axe Garin pulled out one of his knives and thrusted it into the foot of the troll. The troll howled in pain before taking the axe to Garin's chest. Garin wreathed in pain and attempted to regain his breath as the troll lowered its spear. As the spear reached Garin's face he leaned to the left, causing the spear to get stuck into the wood. Garin through away the axe and rolled backwards, only to find the troll once again in his face. The troll leaped forward but Garin had raised his sword once again and caught the troll in the throat. The troll only laughed harder and reached for Garin as he twisted the sword sideways and swung to the right, causing the limp body to fall. More and more trolls were climbing the ladders now. Garin pulled the spear out of the wood and threw it at the nearest troll. The spear flew through the chest of the troll, causing it to fall backwards and knock all of the other orcs climbing the ladder. Garin covered himself in a cloak of flames and slid down one of the ladders, cutting the orcs to pieces as he descended. The flaming ladder collapsed as he fell, sending two grunts back to the hell that were supporting it. As Garin reached the earth he sent balls of flames hurtling at several of the trolls, ripping them to pieces. He then set his swords on fire and jumped from wolf to wolf, slaying their riders as well as the beasts with his swords. As Garin turned around he caught sight of a troll lunging at him. The two axes of the war troll were about to take his head off when a huge hammer caught the side of the trolls jaw and the troll went flying sideways, never to get up again.  
  
"Well its good to see you're up and about, Lad. But next time you pull something like that, tell us why don't ya before ya go and try to get yourself killed eh?" Screamed Mortimor as he slammed his hammer through the chest of another troll, sending it flying against the wall. Garin just laughed and jumped onto another orc raider before dicing it up. Several of the footmen, including Captain Mordred, had used up their arrows and climbed down the ladders in order to push the other orcs back.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As the footmen formed a line in front of the palisade they were able to force the orcs back to the woods. As the wolves and remaining trolls ran back into the tree line, most of the soldiers had begun to head back to the wall to regroup and heal their wounds. Garin and Mortimor began to check the bodies of the orcs to make sure they were dead and the wounded men were carried back. Captain Mordred was searching the tree line for stragglers when he heard a large wail that shook the entire tree line. "Oh great, they've brought a Tauren." Mordred exclaimed as he was suddenly hit with a giant tree trunk that flung his corpse into the air to never be seen by human eyes again.  
  
Mortimor and Garin looked up when they heard the scream and saw one of the soldiers thrown into the air. From the tree line emerged a bull not much smaller then the forest. It was sitting on its hind legs and had the appearance more of a Minotaur. However, its weapon of choice is a tree trunk with demonic runes scraped onto it. As it walked forward another wall of orc raiders and trolls came into view. "Get back to the palisade, now!" Screamed Mortimor as he ran towards the wall. Garin only stood there. The Tauren and orcs grew closer and closer until they were within distance of seeing Garin. Then, with his cloak flowing behind him, Garin looked up to the sky and his eyes became dark red. Just as the Tauren was taking his swing at Garin, A torrent of fire flew up from the ground and surrounded Garin with a Tornado that went up to the sky. The Tauren only stood in amazement while his club was being burned to a crisp. Then the Tauren was snatched away by one of the dragons as both of them flew off into the town to finish their newly caught feast. Garin smiled, released the fire, and fled back to the palisade.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Garin, Mortimor, and the remainder of the soldiers and priests stood on the eastern wall ready for the final onslaught of the orcs. Some of the wizards for the tournament had come to aid the troops when they found out what was going on. The orcs, however, still had greater numbers. Their vast army had stopped out on the field and was assembling into various formations. A Farseer, one of the dreaded orc warlocks, had come out now riding one of his fearsome wolves. Mortimor spat as the Farseer started its bloodlust chant upon the orcs.  
  
"Don't worry boys, they tried that whole "demon possessing" thing back when I was yer age and they didn't get much farther then raising a skeleton or two on the battlefield. There aint nothing we have to worry about from that ther bastard except for some chills." As Mortimor was done speaking the sky over New Covell began to grow dark and the orcs began to turn red howling with rage. "Of course I.. er.. could be wrong." No one was listening to the man as five orc war towers emerged from the tree line. They were the size of the wall, nevertheless built using part of the forest. As they limbered forward Garin could see blood sacrifices, random body parts, and other orc atrocities covering the slow moving walls of death. The orcs howled wildly and rallied behind the towers, not only for protection but to move them faster to the wall. Several trolls and grunts had begun to climb the towers and the shadows could be seen running up them.  
  
"Good" thought Garin, "now the real fun begins."  
  
As the five towers and wave of blood-thirsted orcs edged closer to the wall, Garin began to give orders.  
  
"Mortimor, divide what soldiers we have left and get them into four groups and place them where you think the siege towers will engage the wall. Ill take care of the middle one. Also, if there are any mages left, spread them out too." Screamed Garin. Immediately Mortimor ran off and troops started to scatter into position every which way. Arrows were being lined up, pots of boiling oil were being heated, swords were being re-sharpened, and spells were being prepared. Amongst all the chaos, the red cloak of Garin blended in nicely with the wave of fire surrounding him. He had been meditating for the past ten minutes now, concentrating on a little spark between his hands. Now in silence, everyone waited. The only sounds were the screaming of orcs and the whining of arrows that were sent into the last wave of orcs and trolls. The burning oil was pushed over the walls onto the orcs, but it seemed to do little damage against them.  
  
The five siege towers now rocked against the wall. Silence was broken as shields shifted and bowstrings were drawn. Garin looked at the blood stained wooden door in front of him while he allowed the ball of flame to hover between his palms. The first door slowly creaked open in front of Garin. The orcs, expecting a series of arrows and troops, just stared at Garin in confusion. Garin looked up, eyes concealed in flame, and let loose the fire in his hands. Everyone watched as the ball of flame slowly headed towards the entrance of the tower. The entire siege tower turned into an inferno as a tornado of fire swept through siege tower and destroyed all its temporary occupants. In a loud explosion the tower erupted into a ball of flame to match the air. Below the massive wave gave way to the explosion as the orcs ran for their lives or made their way onto other towers.  
  
Following the explosion the other tower drawbridges began to collapse upon the top of the palisade. The first wave of orcs was filled with arrows and fell back into the masses below. The front row of each line of soldiers dropped their bows, drew their swords and shields, and formed a tightly knit line in front of each of the drawbridges. The strategy was to hold a wall the orcs could not penetrate while the men behind sent fire and arrows, slaughtering the orcs. For now it was working. The orcs could only amass 6 or so on each area to reach the line of men, and those that made it were instantly cut down. Orc arrows were flying up from the area below but were completely missing the wall. But how long would they be able to hold out? Garin looked to his right and smiled. Mortimor had been able to push his men forward to the top of the tower and were now sending their boiling oil and water down through the tower, burning the enemy. With that Garin drew his swords and rallied the men to his left.  
  
It was late in the afternoon now, and for the past two hours the lines had held. Mortimor and Garin were able to go from tower to tower and hold the enemy at bay while the front line soldiers and the rear guard were able to switch. Garin had just held off the orcs while the men switched, when he suddenly heard a scream and a new rally from the orcs. They had broken through! Garin and Mortimor looked at that area and quickly ran forward. The wave was slowly held at bay as Garin went from orc to orc cutting them down as he ran and Mortimor sent the orcs flying from the rampant with his mighty hammer. Once the orcs had been pushed back to the tower and the line was remade Garin looked to his left. He watched in horror as the green waves swept over the palisade on the corner and began to sweep into the town.  
  
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!" screamed Garin as he drew his long sword and axe. Memories of the last failed defense of a similar town haunted his mind as he saw de ja vu all over again. Now he would not make the same mistake again and rushed into the swarm with a blood vengeance.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "You are a traitor to the lich king and his new found body of Arthas. You were the jail keepers and now are the jailed. Except your sentence is not bondage but death" Kel' Thuzad laughed as the ghouls and abominations feasted on the last of the dread lords chained before him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Arthas and the lich king were slowly becoming one as Arthas sat upon the throne cloaked in the lich king armor. Suddenly Arthas was filled with warmth and his mind traveled far into the universe as he saw images of death and destruction. Then he writhed in pain as the images of demons elves smiled and fought in battle.  
  
"What am I seeing master? And why do I feel the way I do when I see these images?" said Arthas in his mind.  
  
"These are the images of what is now and what is to come. Lordareon has now fallen under your control. The last of the dread lords that fought against you is dead, and your lich rules with an iron fist. All is dead and decaying in these lands. Sylvanis holds her own settlement and wants no part in your doings but she is kept on the defensive and is so insignificant. However, the death of Illidan Stormrage is not the end of your struggle. The Naga and Blood Elves still wish to destroy us, but there is fighting continuing between the orcs and the humans. Even now demons from other realms are trying to reenter this world. The control of this earth by the undead is far from over. Far from over."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
[A/N]: ooooooh.. do we all see the plot falling together now? Chapter three is on its way. Thank you for all who give ideas and are commenting on it. Again if you have any ideas or questions or things that need explaining, e-mail me at raptor386@aol.com or aim me. And yes, I realize I stole so much from everything (Warcraft, lord of the rings, Harry potter, reign of fire, gladiator, XXX, Gettysburg, etc) but it all fits and I'm giving them credit right now. And you will have to excuse the last part of this chapter for being so gory and a cliffhanger. Hope it made it better. You all are probably screaming that I copied the siege scene from Return of the King but I assure you if you've read the rough draft of these chapters I devised it long before the movie. I'm also suffering from writers block for "fill ins" so please R&R. Also, I'm having a problem. I'm saving these documents in html format and adding the code, but bars, boldness, and underlines just aren't working, can anyone please help? E-mail if you can. 


	3. Kindling the fire

True Inner Fire: Part I, the Awakening of the Flame.  
  
By: Jay Steinberger  
  
[A/N] Well, after a really long time I finally get back to writing this story. Sorry all, I had to redo the first chapters with the frozen throne and new orc campaigns coming out. Plus applying to colleges and senior year of high school is insane. Anyways, I'm going to try to make this chapter as long as possible but its probably just a fyi chapter, anyways, here it is.  
  
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Chapter 3: The Flame is kindled  
  
Darkness. Abyss. The only light shining was through a small crack. This light flickered and shuttered as shadows moved by. Shadows that wanted to kill. They had come in the night, slaughtered the patrol, and swept into the town as a shadow of death. Now the town was burning. Garin didn't know who was alive or what was going on. All he knew was that there were three large, green monsters going through his room. He wondered where his mom, dad, and stuffed horse were. He sat motionless, and was able to control his breathing, less the monsters, what did daddy call them, orcs, heard him. They scoured the room taking everything apart. The orcs looked for any valuables as well as hidden areas where weapons or troops might be hiding.  
  
"Oh come on now, there aint nothing here, lets find a more profitable house"  
  
"Id says those two humans were profitable enough, the way they screamed when they were roasted."  
  
A tear fell down Garin's face. Those miserable creatures, how could they talk about what they had done to whoever those people were? Garin couldn't wait for his daddy to come in and show those nasty Orcs how powerful he was. All he knew was that his daddy was the best dagger smith in the area, and he could handle them very well. A lot of times he took little Garin to tournaments and Garin would watch for hours as men would fight each other with daggers or throw them at boards and daddy would always win. Yup, he would be able to take care of these orcs in no time. He was the best dagger smith Quel Tha'las had to offer.  
  
"Wait.. what's dat?"  
  
"What's what?"  
  
"Deres a crack dare."  
  
Garin held his breath as a large finger slowly conquered the light. Reflexes took over and he winced as the boards were pulled back, splinters flying everywhere.  
  
"Look what we have here, a little child."  
  
"My daddy will take care of you guys when he comes to rescue me" Garin said triumphantly. The other orcs just looked at each other and laughed.  
  
"Stupid little hu-man, don't you know your parents are dead? We killed them ourselves." with that the orc grabbed Garin and pulled him out of the wall. Garin looked at them for a moment, disbelieving, then tears flooded his eyes, and anger filled his heart.  
  
"You..will..pay!!!!!!!!!" Garin screamed and sunk his nails into the hands of the orc, hoping he would let go so Garin could run. But something else happened. Fire slithered from Garin's fingers into the hand of the orc, and light shone through the orc as the fire traveled through his veins. The orc quickly let go of Garin and fell to the floor, writhing in pain. Seconds later he was covered in fire and burst into flames with a loud squeal. The other two orcs looked at each other and ran out of the room. Garin fell backwards and saw blackness.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Six riders on white steeds stood in the forest watching the High Elf city burn. They sighed and watched in despair as women, men, and children were slain, tortured, or eaten by the orcs. Their demonic war chief stood on a nearby hill watching the events unfold. Suddenly a scream not human rose through the inferno. It was an orc scream, and not a scream of victory, but of pain. The leader of the group was immediately thrown off his horse and the second in command began to drip with blood.  
  
"Can it be so?" One said.  
  
"Is it possible?" Another asked.  
  
"A High Elf?"  
  
"With that kind of magical power?"  
  
"And with the element of fire no doubt?"  
  
"But there hasn't been one since."  
  
"SILENCE!!!" The leader screamed, he got back onto his horse and rode before the others.  
  
"Find him.or her.. now" With that the six riders flew into the burning city. The leader looked up. There, riding into the city as well was the War Chief, with his eyes fixated on the same house.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Come on now. Wake up. Wake up!" Garin was being shaken as he opened his eyes. Before him was a man cloaked in a white robe covered in rune symbols. It took Garin a minute to realize where he was and what had just happened.  
  
"Oh thank God your still alive, now we have to get you out of here, come on!" The man yelled and pulled at Garin.  
  
"Wait, what is going on mister?" Garin exclaimed. He noticed the figure didn't have pointy ears so he wasn't an elf.  
  
"All will be told in due time, but for now you have to trust me." The man looked down at Garin and smiled. Suddenly everything was calm and all right, and Garin smiled back at the man. Suddenly the man's eyes grew wide and he pushed Garin backwards. As Garin fell to the floor he could only watch in horror as the man turned around, and with his staff glowing white repelled the attack of a giant hammer. The orc's hammer flew backwards; he withdrew his attack, snarled, and attacked once more. This time the crystal on the man's staff glowed white and the orc hit an invisible wall. The man smiled and began to conjure a spell. White dots began to appear out of thin air and swarm themselves around the staff. Just then a blue light appeared at the other end of the room and the man was killed as his head was smashed into the wall by the glowing hammer of the orc. The orc took his knife and stabbed the man, and a pool of red soon surrounded the figure.  
  
"Best to leave you dead for them to find." The orc said as he raised his hammer. Garin quickly began to scramble backwards until he had his back pressed up to the wall. The orc merely walked forward and prepared his hammer. Garin watched as the hammer fell. And stopped just above his head. A blinding flash filled the room and the next thing Garin knew the orc lay face down before him with the hammer off to the side. In the entrance stood a much older man, with long white hair and a long white beard. He was wearing the same type of robes as the other man had on but this man had gold lining on the edges of his robes.  
  
"Come.now." The figure beckoned and Garin quickly followed. The two of them ran down the steps of his house and out the door. Flames had begun to eat at the house. As Garin ran through the hallway he looked into the kitchen and other rooms. Everything was torn apart or knocked over, and other red dots covered the kitchen floor and they led to the door where Garin's Dad's shop was. The two of them ran out the door and the old man helped Garin onto a white horse. Surrounding them were four other men, all riding white horses and all in the same garb. They looked at the leader with questioning faces, but he only nodded. And they were off. Garin only saw blurs of fires, people, and orcs. Soon they had left the city and were in the forest.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The old man pulled Garin off of the horse and sat him down on a stump.  
  
"Now," the old man said, "I want you to tell me everything that has happened tonight." Garin recounted how the horns had blared that something was wrong with the city, how Garin's had kissed Garin and hidden him in a secret chamber, how he fell asleep and stayed there for several hours not knowing what was going on, how the orcs came in, how he turned one into flames but didn't know how, and how he was rescued. The men only stood there and listened to his tale, nodding and keeping silent. When he was done the old man spoke.  
  
"I am sorry it had to happen this way, Garin, but everything you know of is lost. Your only choice left is to come with us, and you will. You have a gift Garin. A very rare and special gift. And we will teach you how to use it. Now, go back to sleep, you begin a new life tomorrow."  
  
"Wait. How did you know my name.and who are you." Garin asked. The old man turned around and looked straight into his eyes. Soon a voice filled Garin's head.  
  
We have known about the high elves for some time, Garin. Our powers are great and we know a lot about you. I am Drazidaw, Arch mage of Kirin Tor and leader of the city. These men are my advisors. We are all wizards. And so are you. You are going to learn everything we know Garin. We are the order of the Magi. You will learn more tomorrow, Garin. Now, come with us.  
  
With that Garin smiled, was put on the horse, and quickly fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Light pierced his eyes as Garin looked up into the morning blew sky. Riding over him was Drazidaw and he could feel the bouncing of the horse below him. Suddenly, they stopped.  
  
"Where are we?" Garin asked.  
  
"Kirin Tor. Have a look for yourself" Drazidaw said. Garin sat up and looked in amazement. Across a river a huge castle appeared. Tall white pillars decked the castle and an air of purple dots floated around it. The city was a little bit smaller then the great elf city of Quel Tha'las, but not by much. Standing guard outside were two great statues, both of wizards on horses. Slowly the band trotted forward to the castle. When they got to the water they razed their staves. The aura of purple dots subsided and the drawbridge lowered. As they went in Garin was amazed at the new world. Magi, spells, and creatures covered the pastures. Many of the people stopped and waved or bowed at them. When they got into the castle the pillars were the size of dragons and Garin could barely make out the pictures drawn on the ceiling. Everything looked pure white, the color of the robes worn by all. Garin was brought off of his horse and servants took the horses away.  
  
"Welcome to your new home, Garin. You will be taken to your room, given food and drink, clothes, a shower, and some items. We'll give you a couple of days to get acquainted with the townsfolk and the town, but then your training and preparation begins." Drazidaw exclaimed.  
  
"Thank you Drazidaw, but I have one question. Are there any other wizards my age, everyone seems a lot older then I am."  
  
"Well a lot of people, including me, took a long time to figure out that magic flowed through their bodies. You're very lucky to have found out and harnessed it at such a young age. But there is another pupil of mine I think you will like. You there, will you fetch Jaina Proudmoore for us? Thank you."  
  
A few minutes later a little girl Garin's height came into the chamber. She had long blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Garin and Jaina smiled at each other.  
  
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[A/N] Hope this adds some interesting fluff and background to our rising hero, and what is yet to come. Hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to R & R! Although through some of my other stories people have written comments only to advertise their own story, and I ask you not to do so, for I perceive it as low. Anyways, off to the battle.  
  
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